Cumulus
by rainbowspring
Summary: "Cumulus clouds are nice, aren't they?" -In which observations about the weather lead to introductions, which leads to what from an objective standpoint may be viewed as a first date? My take on how Draco and Astoria first met. One-shot.


**A/N: This on-shot does not connect to any of my other fanfics, all of which can be found on my profile. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****Harry Potter**** or any of the characters used in this fanfiction. **

Cumulus

Draco Malfoy Apparated in front of The Three Broomsticks to find a girl sitting on the bench in front of it.

He expected her to run away when she saw him- many people seemed to do that nowadays due to his Death Eater past- but instead she turned to him as if he were an ordinary person and said," If you're looking for a seat inside, everywhere else is full, but the bar maid said that people should be leaving in a few minutes, so until then anyone looking for a table can just wait out here."

Draco nodded and sat down on the bench next to the girl, wondering how long it would take for her to realize he was a Death Eater.5….4…3…2…1-

"Cumulus clouds are nice, aren't they?"

"Excuse me?" Draco had expected her to realize who he was and run away, or demand that he leave. At the very least act frightened. He had not expected her to comment on the weather.

"Cumulus clouds," The girl repeated casually. "The big fluffy clouds in the sky on a day like today, for instance-"

"I know what they are," Draco interrupted. "I don't see why you feel the need to comment on them, though."

"I like how you can see shapes or even animals in them if you look closely." The girl explained. "And there usually seems to be nice weather when they're around. My parents are obsessed with them so much that they named me Astoria Cumulus Greengrass."

He laughed for what felt like the first time in years before he saw that she was dead serious. Then her last name sunk in.

"Are you a relation of Daphne Greengrass?" He asked.

"Oh yes, she's my sister, she's two years older than me." Astoria replied. Draco was surprised that the girl sitting next to him was only two years younger than him; maybe it was because her height was not extremely tall, or maybe it was because there was something in her eyes that made her seem younger than she actually was. (He was twenty one years old so she must be nineteen, still young but for some reason not as young as he had expected.) Her eyes were grey but had blue flecks in them that gave her eyes a very shiny appearance. His own eyes were grey but no light was reflected out of them.

"What's your name?" She broke his thoughts suddenly. This was it, he knew, he would say his name and the girl called Astoria would leave, or demand that he get away from her. But it was best that he did, if he didn't Astoria would be hanging around a Death Eater and not even realize it, which could actually be very bad indeed. She'd find out either way and react the same way; might as well get this over with.

"Actually, you don't need to tell me who you are," Astoria answered her own question. "You're Draco Malfoy. A former Death Eater who went to school with my sister and was not held enough as a child*."

She said this all very casually and though Draco's facial features remained as emotionless as ever, he was on the inside rather taken aback. Curiosity got the better of him; he could not help but wonder why Astoria wasn't disturbed by him. He also wondered how she knew he had not been held enough as a child.

"What makes you say that?" He sneered.

"Well, Daphne told me about you," Astoria explained. "And I recognized your face from the newspapers. Also, I happen to be a Seer, and I sensed that you were not held enough as a child."

Draco smirked. "You can't be a Seer; those things may all be true, but so called Seers are all just a bunch of fakes."

"No, not all of us," Astoria didn't appear to be particularly offended by this." Some are, but others really do have the Inner Eye. Divination is a complicated branch of magic though, so sometimes it is difficult to understand. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you. Madam Rosmerta is going to walk out that door telling us that there's only one table available in Five… Four… Three… Two… One-"

Right at that moment Madam Rosmerta stepped outside and informed Astoria," So sorry dear, but there's only one table left. You can have it for yourself if you like." She added, eyeing Draco with disdain.

"We can share," Astoria told Madam Rosmerta who seemed shocked by this idea.

"Are you sure dear?" She whispered to Astoria as if Draco weren't even there. "You don't want to be seen with the likes of _him_."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Astoria assured her. "Honest."

Madam Rosmerta nodded curtly and escorted the pair of blondes inside, eyeing Draco suspiciously the whole time.

"Judging by your ignorant proclamation earlier, I take it you are inexperienced in the art of divination?" Astoria said after they were seated at a table.

"Actually, I took the subject in my third year," Draco enlightened her. "However I dropped it after my O.W.L. Speaking of which, if you actually are a real Seer, shouldn't you have already known that?"

"Just because I'm a Seer doesn't mean I know everything." Astoria corrected him. "Oh, and I'm going to guess what you got on your Divination O.W.L.: A P am I right?"

This was accurate, but he didn't want to admit that she was right. "I only took the subject because it was easier than the alternatives, and I sure as Hell wasn't going to take Muggle Studies. Besides, the professor for that subject was obviously a fake." Then a thought occurred to him. "Did you go to Hogwarts?"

"Yes, and Professor Trelawney wasn't a fake," Astoria corrected him. "She actually was a true Seer but just barely. "

"What House were you in?" He asked her.

"Hufflepuff." She beamed with pride. She had a nice smile, he noticed.

_Oh well, at least she wasn't in Gryffindor…_ Draco thought.

Draco and Astoria continued talking. He found out that she was trying to make a living as a Seer, and she managed to convince him she actually was one. He himself was unemployed; very few people were willing to hire a former Death Eater, but fortunately he didn't need any more money than his family already had. He also learned that she had been a member of Dumbledore's Army in her fifth year, but she never got caught. She had freed some younger students from dungeons, but was always certain never to disobey the Carrows directly in front of them, unlike some members of Dumbledore's Army. When they reached this part of the conversation, Draco had to ask," Why are you eating lunch with me if you know I'm a Death Eater? You do realize that we were on opposite sides in the war, don't you?"

"The war is over," Astoria tucked a strand of long blonde hair off her face."Besides, I sensed that you regret what you've done, don't you?"

"Yes." Draco stated honestly. He wasn't exactly Pro-Muggle now or anything, but he certainly would never dream of becoming a Death Eater ever again. Not if his life depended on it.

They went back to talking for quite some time, until they finished their lunch.

"Owl me sometime, will you?" Astoria called as she stood up to leave.

Draco nodded smoothly. "Very well then." This girl may very well be a Hufflepuff version of Loony Lovegood, but she was willing to communicate with him, she made him laugh, and he had enjoyed talking to her, so he had no problem with seeing her again or further corresponding with her. He would just owl her, that's all. Maybe ask to meet her again sometime. But it wasn't like he was going to marry her or anything.

*** "You weren't held enough as a child" is a line from a TV show called ****Total Drama Revenge of the Island****, which I do not own. **

**Please review! :) **


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